Filmmakers to Debut The Candy Store 2 on Halloween
Chicago duo Will Gates and Bo Simmons will premiere their new horror sequel at the Baer Theater this October 31.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Horror
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Chicago-based filmmakers Will Gates and Bo Simmons will debut their horror sequel, The Candy Store 2, at the Baer Theater on Halloween 2026. The premiere event will double as a costume party featuring a dinner prepared by Chef Michael Airhart.
Why it matters
The project represents the third release for the creative duo in 2026 and marks the seventh collaborative effort between the two industry veterans. The film leverages local Chicago urban legends concerning clown sightings to build its suspenseful narrative.
Will Gates has been a filmmaker for 23 years since founding Open World Films in 2003, while Bo Simmons brings 18 years of experience directing music videos. Simmons has written 2,000 songs and previously directed a video that earned 16 million YouTube views.
The players
Will Gates
He is a Chicago-based filmmaker from Englewood who founded the production company Open World Films in 2003.
Bo Simmons
A North Side native and music video director of 18 years, he transitioned his career focus to narrative filmmaking.
Chef Michael Airhart
He is a professional chef providing the dining experience for the upcoming film premiere at the Baer Theater.
The details
The Candy Store 2 serves as a sequel to the 2025 film The Candy Store, which is currently available on streaming platforms including Tubi and Amazon Prime. The filmmakers developed the script by synthesizing historical news accounts of missing children with long-standing urban legends, including reports of a man resembling Homey D. Clown driving a white van.
Timeline
1991: Chicago Tribune reported on local clown sightings.
2003: Will Gates founded the production company Open World Films.
2006: Chicago Reader documented urban legends concerning clown sightings.
2025: Release of the original film, The Candy Store.
October 31, 2026: The Candy Store 2 debuts at the Baer Theater.
Industry Dynamics
The production follows a trend of independent filmmakers mining regional folklore to establish horror franchises in a competitive streaming market. By grounding the narrative in documented historical urban legends, the duo bridges local community memory with contemporary independent cinema.
Local film enthusiasts can attend the premiere event at the Baer Theater in the Morgan Park Academy Arts Center on Halloween night. Those unable to attend the live screening can access the first film in the series through streaming services like YouTube, Amazon Prime, and Tubi.
The takeaway
Independent filmmakers often use regional history and localized legends to build authentic tension in horror cinema. Fans of the genre can study historical local newspaper archives to identify the real-world origins behind popular scary stories.
Further reading
Explore more local releases in the Horror section of our film coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The TRiiBE.
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